Railway car truck



Nov. 2o, 1945. R EPP'LA 2,389,52`i" RAILWAY CAR TRUCK K Original Filed Deo. 5l, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l I I l --4 --1 4 f. w L

44 D v /q 4,-

52 50 .-L, INVENToR E 1 BY Rudollzh LePPla,

ATTORNEYS Nov. 20, 1945. R. LEPPLA 2,389,521

RAILWAY CAR TRUCK original Filed Deo. 51, 1942 2 sheets-sheet 2 Illlll/llll)'llllIIllIIlllllll/l Il INVENTOR Rudoljph Lefpla M'TORNEYSy Patented 20, 1945*V UNITED Y' STATES PATENT UFFICE .Y u l 2,389,521

RAILWAY om TRUCK Rudolph Leppla, Pittsburgh, Pa., assigner to McConway & Torley Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Yoriginal application December 31, 1942, sei-iai No.

470,788, now Patent No.

2,373,576, dated April 10, 1945. Divided and this application October 16, 1943, Serial No. 506,469

2 Claims. (Cl. 1054-5190) This invention relates to railway car trucks o! the type in which thebolster is yieldably supported by a spring plank suspended from a transom and more particularly to the means for suspending the spring plank from the transom.

This'application is a division of my prior application Serial No. 470,788, led Dec. 31, 1942, for Railway car truck, which has matured into U. S. Patent No. 2,373,576, granted April 10, 1945.

An object of the inventionis to provide an adjustable seat between the transom and the spring plank supporting links, whereby the inclinatlon of the links may be adjusted.

A further object is tojprovide bearing blocks for the pivotsA ofY the spring plank supporting links which are detachably mounted in the transom so that they may be readily replaced when worn or otherwise damaged.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention may be said to comprise a car truck as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the appended claims, together with such variations and modications thereof as will be aD- parent to one skilledin the art to which the invention pertains.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan View 'of the truck, with a portion oi the side frame broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section, through a side frame and ends of the transom bolster and spring plank. portions of the transom, spring plank and bolster being shown in side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line indicated at 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of one end of the transom and spring plank;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line indicated at 5-5 in Fig. 2. Y

In the accompanying drawings, one side portion only of the truck is illustrated, it being understood that the opposite side of the truck is identical with the side shown in the drawings.

The truck has side frames A, and transom B. a bolster C, and a spring plank D, the transom B being a cross frame member connecting the side frames A, and the bolster C being yieldably supported on the spring plank D, which is ilexibly suspended from the transom. The truck side frames A are of a conventional freight car type, having top and bottom chords I and 2, that connect the journal boxes at opposite ends of the frame. In trucks of the type to which the present invention relates the weight of the car body supported on the truck is imposed upon the bolster, transmitted through suitable cushioning means from the bolster to the spring plank suspended from the transom, and through the transom to the side frames, which impose' thcA weight upon the car axles. Vertical guide coiu'mns 4 connect-the top and bottom chords I and 2 and these columns are spaced apart to provide a central transom receiving opening in the side frame.

The 'transom B comprises a pair of spaced parallel cross beams II and integral end portions I2 which connect the cross beams II. The cross beams I I may have inwardly offset portions I3 atY the ends which extend into the openings 5 oi the side frames, and to which the connecting members I2 are integrally joined.` The `end members I2 have depending arms I4 at opposite ends thereof `which are disposed at right angles to the cross beams II. The cross beams I I, connecting members I2 and arms I4, are preferably tubular andA of rectangular cross section joined together in a one-piece casting.

Adjacent the top thereof the end portion I2 of the transom is provided with laterally projecting guide lugs I5 and I6 which are adapted to straddle the guide columns 4. y

Midway between their ends the parallel cross beams I I are provided on their inner upper edges with arcuate recesses 24. which are adapted to receive a center bearing 25, which may be formed integrally on the bolster C. The recesses 24 are so proportioned that the center bearing 25 is permitted to have a limited amount of vertical play and also a limited amount of endwise movement in the recesses so that the bolster C may have corresponding movements. The bolster C is s supported at its ends upon suitable springs, such as coil springs 26, which are shown mounted be.- tween top and bottom seating plates 21 and 28 0n the under side of the bolster and on the spring plank D.

The recessing of the cross beams permits the use of straight cross beams and also serves the dual purpose of providing an additional lateral limiting stop for the bolster as well as a vertical limiting stop to prevent the bolster springs from going solid.

The spring plank D has a saddle member 29 attached to the under side thereof at each end, and each saddle member has laterally spaced. rectangular eye or loop members 3|), which are adapted to receive a pivot 'bar 3 I. Each pivot bar under side of the spring plank, and the opposite ends thereof are seated inl slots Il formed in the lower ends of suspension Ilnksi, the bars Il having notches 36 on the 'under side thereof which are vof a width to receive the links 35 at the lower ends of the slots 3l. so that the bar 3l is restrained against endwise movements with respect to the suspension links.

' The links i5 disposed on opposite sides of the spring plank D extend upwardly through slots 31 formed in the cross beams I I and carry trunnions or pivot members 38 at'their upper ends which rest in sockets 30 formed in bearing blocks 40. which are seated in recesses 4| Aformed in the tops of the cross beams Il. Each bearing block 4I has a central slot 42 through which the link 35 extends. The recesses 4| are preferably substantially rectangular in form, and the blocks 40 are shaped to t in the recesses. Central portions of the recesses 4| preferably extend the full width of the upper faces of the cross beams I I, but adjacent the ends of the recesses Il flanges are provided on opposite sides thereof which engage in recesses on the under side of the blocks ll and hold the blocks against lateral movements.

The pivot-receiving recess 39 of each of the blocks extends across the full width of the block and is disposed nearer one end of the block than the other. Each `of the blocks is reversible in its recess. so as to adjust the positions of the recesses I! toward or away from the transom end and to thereby vary the inclination of the supporting links Il.

In Hg. 4 the blocks 40 are shown in a position reverse to that shown in Fig. 2, so that the links Il are disposed at an inclination. The blocks Il are readily detachable and replaceable, and

` blocks may be provided with the recesses 39 at various distances from the longitudinal nur o:

the block. so that the desired adjustment oi the links may be provided, either -by reversing the blocks or by substituting bearing blocks. The provision of replaceable bearing blocks is advantageous for the additional reason that they may be replaced with new blocks when worn or damaged.

It is to be understood that variations and modifications of the specific devices herein shown and described for purposes of illustration, may be made without departing from the spirit oi the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a car truck, side frames, spaced cross frame members connecting said side frames and having recesses in the tops thereof adjacent their ends, a bearing block reversibly seated in each of said recesses, each block having a transverse bearing socket in its upper face nearer one end thereof than the other, suspension links having trunnions at their upper ends seated in said sockets and a spring plank carried by said links.

2. In a car truck, side frames, a transom supported in the side frames and comprising spaced parallel cross'beams, said beams having transversely aligned recesses to the tops thereof adjacent each end of the transom and a longitudinal slot centrally of each recess, a bearing block in each recess having a central slot that registers with the beam slot and aligned bearing sockets upon opposite sides of the slot, each block being reversible in its recess and having its bearing sockets nearer one end than the other, links ex- 35 tending through the slots and having trunnions seated in said sockets, and a spring plank supported by the links.

RUDOLPH LEPPLA. 

